Rogers



M. ROGERS June 19, 1956 AIGHTENING TOOL FRAME STR Filed Nov. 15, 1952INVEN TOE, Mn CK R0 cans ///S A 7' TOKA/E Y United States Patent FRAMESTRAIGHTENING TOOL Mack Rogers, Hayward, Calif.

Application November 13, 1952, Serial No. 320,259

1 Claim. (Cl. 153-48) The invention relates to a power-operated tool foruse in straightening metallic frame structures, and particularly theframes of vehicles, and comprises a continuation-m-part of my copendingapplication, Serial Number 46,849, filed August 30, 1948, and laterabandoned.

An object of the invention is to provide a tool of the characterdescribed which is applicable to a distorted frame for straightening theframe by exerting thereon restoring forces which are the etfectivereverse of the original distorting forces.

Another object is to provide a tool which is arranged for readyinsertion in operative position from beneath the fixedly disposed frameof the chassis of a motor vehicle to dispose its working elements atsuitably adjusted heights for its working application to the frame.

A further object is to provide a stretching tool of the characterdisclosed having its work-engaging elements freely movable with respectto each other and to the base of the tool for their operativepositioning and applica tlon.

An added object is to provide a frame straightener of the characterdescribed which is of particularly simple and effective structure forits purposes. 7

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in thefollowing description thereof, and in the accompanying drawings, inwhich,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stretching tool embodying myinvention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a tool shown as applied for mutuallyspreading members of a frame to be straightened.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken at the line 3-3 in Figure2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged and partly sectional plan view taken on thestepped line 44 in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a distorted vehicle-chassisframe havi'ng indicated therein certain manners of applying the presentunit for a straightening of the frame to its normal symmetrical form.

As particularly shown, the features of my invention are embodied in thestructure of a unitary tool which essentially comprises a beam member 7mounted at its ends on wheeled base units 8, and adjustably carryingcomplementary work-engaging arm members 9 and 10 ar ranged forindependent adjustment along the beam and each providing an upper jawportion 11 and a lower base portion 12, and a jack for providing aspreading action by the members 9 and 10 when their jaws ll engage thework. The present jack 13 is of a usual hydraulic type having a cylinder14 carrying a working piston (not shown) from which a piston rod 15extends to a working head 16. The base end of the jack cylinder 14 andthe working head 16 are arranged to simultaneously engage mutuallyopposed edge portions of the members 9 and 10 whereby the extension ofthe piston rod 15 from the cylinder may urge a mutual separation of thejaws. A

"ice

usual hand pump 17 may be provided for controlling the jack action.

The present beam member 7 comprises elements 18 of uniform like channelcross-section having their flanges 18' mutually coplanar at the top andbottom of the beam, and having their web portions 18" in mutually spacedand parallel opposition. Blocks 19 interposed between the channel webs18" at the opposite beam ends space the channel elements 18 to provide auniform guide slot 21 between the elements; the spacing members 19 maybe welded in their operative position between the elements.

It will now be noted that the members 9 and 10 generally compriseelongated plate members of uniform thickness for the slidable engagementof their base portions 12 through the beam slot 21. At points thereofimmediately above and below the beam 7, the members 9 and 10 mountrollers 22 which are rotatively carried on both ends of stub shafts 23extending perpendicularly through and from base portions 12 of themembers, there being a pair of the rollers 22 provided above and belowthe different flanges 18' of each beam element 18 in a spacedarrangement which tends to maintain the members 9 and 10 inperpendicular relation to the beam while providing a rolling support ofthe members on the beam. As shown, the mutually opposed edges of the armmembers 9 and 10 are stepped outwardly at the bases of their portions 11whereby the latter are somewhat narrower than the remaining portions 12of the members for fitting in restricted places.

In the present unit, the base members 8 comprise chan nel-shapedelements 24 mounting a pair of floor-engaging casters 25 beneath themand having standards 26 extending upwardly from intermediate points oftheir tops and fixed thereto, as by welding. The standards 26 compriseplate members which slidably lit in the ends of the slot 21 and arearranged to be held in adjusted position adjacent the spacers 19,whereby the height of the beam 7 from a supporting floor may beadjusted; as particularly shown, set-screws 27 engaged threadedlythrough a web of the beam are operative against the standards 26 forproviding the fixed adjusted support of the beam from the bases 8, andso from a supporting floor. In the present structure, the set-screws 27are provided with attached crank handles 27 to facilitate their settingand release with respect to the standards 26.

It will now be noted that the present unit may be utilized forstraightening the frame of a motor vehicle by moving it in position todispose the upper ends of the jaws 11 adjacent and between frame pointsto be spread apart and in a frame-straightening operation, andthereafter operatively applying the jack 13 between the members 9 and 10to provide the desired spreading action of the jaws against the engagedframe members. In the event that the side members A and B of a frame P(Fig. 5) to be straightened are of channel form, as is particularlyshown in Figure 2, blocks C of suitable length may be interposed betweenjaws 11 and the webs of the frame elements A and B to provide thenecessary non-twisting bearing of the jaws against said elements. Itwill be understood that the jack 13 may be operatively applied to andbetween jaw portions 11, or to and between base portions 12 (Fig. 2) asis best permitted by the structure to which the present stretching toolis applied.

Figure 5 illustrates different lines of application of the presentstretching unit to a laterally distorted frame F, including theapplication of Figure 2, across openings of the frame, and furtherincludes an indication of the form of the straightened frame.Understanding that the operative application of a stretching toolbetween spaced points of a laterally bent elongated member maystraighten the member by the application of the requisite force in aline in or adjacent the chord line of the bend, such might beaccomplished with respect to the frame of Figure 5, by, for instance,operatively applying the jaws of the present tool at points of crossmembers of the frame where they extend from a connecting and laterallybent side frame member, or portion thereof, for effecting the desiredstraightening of the latter member.

Although only a frame is shown in Figure 5, it is to be particularlynoted that, by reason of the offset action of the jaws 9 and 10 withrespect to the beam 7, and the adjustability of the jaws toward and fromeach other, the present tool may usually be operatively applied forstraightening a vehicle frame while the same remains attached to thevehicle elements which it normally carries and which carry it; thus, thebeam is disposable beneath all frame-carried elements which wouldprevent a disposal of a stretching tool in the line of the desiredstretching action. Furthermore, it is to be particularly noted that thedesired straightening application of the present tool to the frame of acomplete chassis assembly facilitates the working application of thetool in a manner to effectively reverse the action which distorted thechassis structure in the first place, whereby to avoid other distortionsduring and by reason of the straightening process performed by the tool.

While the present tool is advantageously usable on the frame of avehicle while it is floor-supported from its wheels, the full advantagesof the use of the tool are realized only when the frame is directlysupported from a supporting floor on blocks and/ or jacks to have therunning gear hang freely from the frame. The frame would preferably besupported in substantially horizontal position at such a height abovethe floor as facilitates ready access beneath it to provide for anoperative setting of the tool from beneath the frame by a mechanic.

Having a vehicle disposed over a floor for the application of a presenttool to it, one or more of the castermounted tools are rolled into suchpositions under the frame that the jaws 11 of their members 9 and 10 aredisposed adjacent and between a pair of frame points to which they areto be applied. The ends of the beam 7 are then vertically adjusted alongthe supporting base standards 26 to dispose the working points of thejaws 11 opposite the points of the frame members to be engaged, and themembers 9 and 10 are shifted by hand as necessary to engage the jawswith such points. A jack 13 is now positioned and operatively engagedsolely with and between the members 9 and 10 on the beam 7 in theillustrated manner whereby its actuation will forcibly separate themembers 9 and 10 against the resistance of the engaged frame members forforcing the engaged frame points apart in a frame-straightening action.

It will now be noted that the application of the force of the jack 13against points of the members 9 and 10 which are between their jaws andthe upper rollers 22 opposite the top of the beam 7 is arranged torelatively spread the bottoms of the members 9 and 10 while slightlytilting the members to cause, in effect, a one-way, or ratchet, lockingof the members to the beam during and by reason of the frame resistanceto a mutual separation of the engaged frame members. Accordingly, whilethe members 9 and 10 are forcibly separated against the frameresistance, the members are locked against return movements thereof yetmay be further separated by a continued actuation of the jack. In thismanner, the jack 13 may be removed without releasing the members 9 and10, whereby to provide for its replacement by a jack having a longerworking stroke or for its blocking between the members to permit its usefor further spreading the members 9 and 10. When the jack is releasedfrom its operative disposal between the members 9 and 10, said membersmay be released from the ratchet-locking action of the rollers 22 bytapping the bottom end of either member toward the other member, itbeing under- 4 stood that the described locking of the slightly tiltedmembers 9 and 10 is provided by the forcible engagements of the mutuallyclosest upper rollers 22 of the different members 9 and 10 with the beam7 and the mutually farthest lower rollers 22 with the beam.

Recalling that the members 9 and 10 are relatively movable along thebeam 7 to insure their working reactions against the engaged framemembers while the free rolling support of the beam 7 on the casters 25also permits the required operative engagement of the members 9 and 10with the opposed frame points, it will be understood that thestraightening of a distorted frame may effect a lowering of one or bothof the engaged frame points with respect to the underlying floor to actthrough the secured base units 8 to produce an undesirable thrustagainst the floor and so prevent the desired free action of the tool.Accordingly, it is customary to release the set-screws 27 from theiroperative engagement with the standards 26, after the beam isframe-supported, whereby the beam 7, and the members 9 and 10 and thejack 13 carried by it, have the required floating support entirely fromand beneath the frame during a spreading action of the engaged framemembers by the jaws 11 of the members 9 and 10. Such a pre-fioatingsupport of the operative tool by the engaged frame is understood topermit the restoration of a distorted frame to its normal form by areverse application of the distorting force resulting from a collisionor other cause without introducing other distortions of the frame duringthe straightening process.

In straightening bent frame members, and particularly frame members inwhich wrinkles have been produced on the inner sides of their bends, itis customary to appropriately heat a member being straightened alongsolely the inner bend side for softening it thereat for its stretchingback to its original form. Also, while the present disclosure of theapplication of my straightening tool is to channel members, it will beobvious that the present tool is usable for the straightening of membersof other forms including box and I sections. It will be understood thatseveral of the present frame straightening units may be usedsimultaneously with a given frame and with the various units applied invarious working directions with respect to the frame. Furthermore, sinceneither the frame or units need be anchored to and with respect to asupporting surface, the units may be readily applied for their purposeaway from a shop and without requiring the provision of specialancillary equipment.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of the present frame straighteningtool may be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which theinvention apertains. While I have described a form of my invention whichI now consider to comprise a preferred embodiment thereof, I desire tohave it understood that the showings are primarily illustrative, andthat such changes and developments may be made, when desired, as fallwithin the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In apparatus for straightening the underframe of a floor-supportedvehicle, a beam disposed beneath the underframe, complementaryframe-engaging arms extending similarly and upwardly from said beam in acommon plane with the lower arm portions having sliding and retainingconnections with the beam for guided movements therealong whilemaintaining their angular relations to the beam and with the upper armportions comprising jaws arranged to engage spaced points of theoverlying underframe, complementary frame-engaging arms expoints whileattaching the beam to the frame, a jack for direct engagement solelywith and between intermediate arm points for operatively spreading theframe points engaged by the arms, caster-carried support membersindependently and releasably carrying the opposite beam ends spaced fromthe vehicle-supporting floor in adjusted height relation thereto for theoperative disposition References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 823,711 Thielmann June 19, 1906 1,524,753 Schwerin Feb.3, 1925 6 Jauch Aug. 6, Manley May 12, Wochner May 9, Smith May 7,Merrill Sept. 10, Mandl May 7, Merrill June 10,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Sept. 12, Australia Dec. 15,

